Chapter 144: The Furious Xiao Yuan
After saying that, she glanced at Shen Anan, picked up the teacup and sipped the tea.
Miss Li still had an innocent look on her face, "So that's how it is, Shen... Don't worry, Princess Fourth, I will talk to Daddy later and ask him to promote Master Shen."
Shen Anan glanced at Miss Li, wondering if she really didn't understand or was pretending not to understand.
Liangpin observed Shen Anan's expression, put down the teacup and said to Miss Li, "Go to the small kitchen to see if lunch is ready. I want to talk to the Fourth Prince's wife alone."
After Miss Li left, the smile on Concubine Liang's face faded, "Fourth Prince Consort, let's not beat around the bush. I am following the Emperor's wishes today."
"You should know that the emperor values the Fourth Prince, but because of this marriage with you, the Fourth Prince's power in the court is quite passive."
"Jing'er has a simple personality. Even if she enters the prince's mansion, she will not pose any threat to you. Both the Fourth Prince and your father can benefit from it."
Liangpin felt that Shen Anan had no reason to refuse.
She can handle Li Jing'er. She is the most suitable one in every aspect. Since she will have to take a concubine sooner or later, why not choose one who will be beneficial to her family?
The emperor must have considered this aspect before choosing the Li family, and he was sure that Shen Anan would not refuse for the sake of Shen Wen's career.
Shen Anan naturally knew it, but it was really disgusting that it happened on the second day of their wedding.
Liangpin waited for a while and then said, "You know the rules of the royal family. Even if Miss Li is not here, there will be other girls today."
After the main wife came into the family, the royal family would generally grant a few attractive palace maids to take back to fill the backyard and serve together. However, Xiao Yuan did not have a mother, so he skipped this process.
In her previous life, it was Concubine Shen who sent the beautiful palace maid, and this was also the key to her estrangement from Concubine Shen.
So what Liangpin meant was that either she would take one back or a group back, but in any case, she would not leave empty-handed.
She tapped her fingertips on the teacup and didn't say anything for a while. Liangpin didn't speak either, just waited quietly for her reply.
The heater in the room was crackling, blending with the whistling wind outside the window. Liangpin was not in a hurry. Anyone with a discerning eye would know what to choose.
Besides, she was just a concubine.
Once you marry into the royal family, no one dares to think that you will be alone in the backyard for the rest of your life.
In their view, it was natural for royal children to have three wives and four concubines, and for the emperor to have seventy-two concubines. It was not easy to be the main wife.
Of course, this rule is a bit inhumane on the wedding day.
"Okay, then I'll have to trouble Concubine Liang to take care of it," Shen Anan suddenly agreed, and Concubine Liang immediately smiled.
"That's right. Marrying into the royal family is a fate you can't avoid. Just be open-minded. As long as the Fourth Prince's heart is with you and you can hold on to your position as the Fourth Prince's Consort, no one can surpass you."
Shen Anan smiled but said nothing.
"Girl, the first thing you need to learn is that a wife must obey her husband. A man's love is only temporary. Only if you are virtuous and generous can he respect and honor you forever."
Liangpin was very happy. Her family was not bad, but it was still far from good. Now that her niece could marry into the Fourth Prince's mansion, it was a great joy.
"Then let's do it in three days. It's a good day for marriage."
The following lunch went very smoothly. Shen Anan met Liangpin's wishes, so she naturally would not try to make things difficult for her.
Less than half an hour had passed and lunch was just halfway through when the young eunuch came in to report that the Fourth Prince had come to pick up the Fourth Prince's wife.
"The Fourth Prince is thinking of you," Liangpin put down her chopsticks and smiled, and then said, "You two are newly married and are in love with each other. Go quickly and don't keep the Fourth Prince waiting for too long. Just help me take Jing'er out with you."
Shen Anan glanced at Li Jing, knowing that Liangpin wanted her to show her face in front of Xiao Yuan, and agreed very readily.
Xiao Yuan was standing at the entrance of Luoying Palace. The cold wind lifted up a corner of his robe. His tall and straight figure inexplicably gave Shen Anan a sense of security.
Hearing the footsteps, Xiao Yuan turned around, and his sharp eyes scanned her for a while, as if he was slightly relieved.
He walked forward and stretched out his hand to her, wanting to ask if Liangpin had made things difficult for her, but his eyes suddenly caught sight of Li Jing, who was following behind her one step behind.
Shen Anan could feel the coldness emanating from his eyebrows and eyes, and suddenly felt guilty. She stared at the buttons on his brocade robe and said.
"This is Miss Li from the family of the Minister of War. The Emperor specially brought her into the palace today."
Xiao Yuan lowered his dark eyes slightly, glanced at Shen Anan, and responded lightly.
Shen Anan knew, he understood the meaning of her words, "Liangpin asked us to give Miss Li a ride."
"There are carriages in the palace, it's not our turn to worry about it." He grabbed Shen Anan's wrist and left without saying anything.
Miss Li stood there with a bewildered look on her face. The maid of Luoying Palace quickly chased after her, "Fourth Prince, my cousin..."
"If there is a carriage, we will return. If there is no carriage, let Concubine Liang go and ask the emperor to build another palace for Miss Li so that their aunt can keep her company."
His voice was so cold and almost without a trace of warmth that it frightened the palace maid who was speaking.
"this......"
Shen Anan was led back to the carriage by him with a cold face. She lowered her eyes, sat in the corner, and clicked the pattern on her dress with her fingertips.
Xiao Yuan was sitting opposite her, his sharp and cold eyes staring at her little movements without blinking, and veins on his forehead were faintly jumping.
"You agree?"
Shen Anan paused with his fingertips and snorted with his throat.
Xiao Yuan laughed in anger, "We are newly married, and you are so virtuous and generous."
Shen Anan was not stupid, so she could naturally hear his sarcasm. She was silent for a moment and said, "This is the rule of your royal family. What can I do? Miss Li was appointed by your father, so how can I refuse?"
If not for this, there would still be a group of rules passed down for decades. How could she compete with the royal regulations?
Xiao Yuan stared at her eyes and asked, "Is it because you don't know what to do, or is it because the other party is from the Li family, the Minister of War, and you are afraid that your father-in-law will be embarrassed if you refuse, so you agreed?"
"...I did have that consideration, but Liangpin also said that the girl was carefully selected by the emperor to help you. Without your consent, I naturally dare not refuse."
"You are quite good at turning the tables!" His eyes were extremely cold and sharp, a gloominess that Shen Anan had not seen in a long time.
What do you mean by not daring to refuse? She was obviously afraid of trouble and didn't want to spend time on him and think about the Shen family at the same time.
She was silent for a while, then said softly, "Liangpin said that the emperor has set an auspicious date three days later to take Miss Li in as a concubine."
"Whoever agrees will marry her." Xiao Yuan closed his eyes, trying hard to suppress the anger in his heart, and a cold aura emanated from his whole body.
Shen Anan knew he was angry.
Even if the two of them were not on good terms in the previous life, he had never brought any random people into the mansion, as if he was born to dislike these things. The only one who was polite to him was Duan Mengmeng, who automatically thought that he was unwilling to let her be his concubine.
His face was already stern, and especially when he was angry, his facial features became even sharper.
"But... other brides in the royal family also do the same."
Whether they were royal relatives or the Second Prince's wife, Zhou, they were brought home one after another starting from the second day of the wedding.
In her previous life, she was jealous and had a big quarrel with Concubine Shen. It was also at that time that she became known as a shrew.
She accepted it, but Xiao Yuan was unhappy again, and he felt like he was in a difficult situation.
"Liangpin has made preparations for today. Even if it's not Miss Li, there will be a group of beautiful palace maids waiting. It is always more cost-effective to accept Miss Li than to accept a group of them."
A good deal for everyone.
"Do you think I'm a business deal? Are you still considering whether it's worthwhile?" Xiao Yuan glared at her with his sharp eyes, "Or is it because of her status as the daughter of the Minister of War that it's worthwhile?"
"So, I should thank you?"
Tsk, she started to be sarcastic again. Shen Anan felt helpless and didn't know how to be a good wife and mother.
Xiao Yuan rested his wrists on his knees, lowered his eyes slightly and said nothing, his three-dimensional outline carrying an intimidating coldness and sharpness.
At this time, the carriage stopped at the gate of the mansion. He swung down the curtain and got off the carriage. Shen Anan looked at the curtain fluttering in the cold wind and pursed her red lips.
Being his wife was difficult, but she admitted that she had to accept that Miss Li did have her own selfish motives and that it was reasonable for him to be unhappy.
I thought he had left, but when I lifted the curtain I found him leaning against the side of the carriage, his face had returned to normal.
"Slow down." He stretched out his hand to her, and Shen Anan immediately took it, and the two went back home hand in hand.
At the corner where no one else could hear, she whispered, "Thank you."
He has always been like this. No matter how angry they are with each other, he will try his best to maintain her dignity as the Fourth Prince's consort in public. However, she did not appreciate it in her previous life and felt that he had been tamed by her repeated disturbances.
Thinking about it now, I feel ashamed!
Xiao Yuan glanced at her with his dark eyes, "I haven't forgiven you."
"...I know." After returning to Wutong Garden, Mo Xiang immediately wanted to go in to serve, but was scared away by Xiao Yuan's eyes.
He closed the door and turned back to stare at Shen Anan.
Shen Anan looked at him walking towards her step by step with a cold face. It would be a lie to say that she was not scared at all, "You...are you going to hit me again?"
He wouldn't be so ungentlemanly.
"Why did I hit you?" Xiao Yuan looked at her calmly, "Because you generously gave me a concubine? You also know that what you did was immoral?"
How does this have anything to do with morality?
"This is the rule of your royal family. What can I do? Am I going to have a big fight with Concubine Liang today? Let everyone say that you, Xiao Yuan, married a fierce woman?"
"So you sold me out so readily for your own reputation?" Xiao Yuan stood in front of her, pinching her waist with a bit of force, Shen Anan didn't dare to move at all.
"What do you mean by selling? You're not an object." Shen Anan muttered and sniffed, "Actually, I hesitated for a long time. It's not as straightforward as you said."
Xiao Yuan was so angry that he laughed, "So the Madam gave up her husband after weighing the pros and cons."
How can we abandon it? It's not a disposable thing that will be destroyed after use!
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